Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday took his anti-government campaign deep into Western Kenya, drawing huge crowds in Malava, Kakamega County, as the opposition intensified efforts to wrestle one of President William Ruto's key support bases ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The rally at Mayuge trading centre brought together some of the country's most prominent opposition figures, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala, former Attorney-General Justin Muturi, Mumias East MP Peter Salasya, Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu, Wafula Wamunyinyi and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi.
The leaders used the stopover to sharpen their criticism of the Kenya Kwanza administration, accusing it of presiding over corruption, economic hardship, extrajudicial killings and mismanagement of public resources.
Addressing supporters, Mr Gachagua declared that Western Kenya had joined what he described as a nationwide movement for political change, saying residents were determined to make the next election a referendum on governance and accountability.
"The people of Mayuge have spoken. They want a Kenya that works for ordinary citizens, a nation free from corruption, fear and wastage of public resources," he said.
The former Deputy President's latest foray into Western Kenya comes at a time when the region is emerging as a key political battlefield between the opposition coalition and President Ruto's allies.
Among the President's most influential political allies in the region are National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah's ally and Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, as well as a host of Kenya Kwanza MPs seeking to consolidate support for the President ahead of the next election.
The opposition's decision to begin its three-day Western tour in Vihiga and Kakamega counties is widely seen as an attempt to challenge the influence of Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang'ula, whose parties delivered significant support to President Ruto in the 2022 election.
Political analysts say the presence of Governor Natembeya, who has increasingly emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the Kenya Kwanza administration in Western Kenya, gives the opposition a powerful local face in a region long regarded as the backyard of the President's allies. Mr Natembeya has been working closely with Mr Gachagua ahead of the tour and has publicly backed the opposition's grassroots mobilisation drive in the region.
Friday's rally marked the opening leg of a wider opposition offensive that will traverse Vihiga, Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties as coalition leaders seek to build momentum around their "Wantam" campaign and position themselves as the main challengers to President Ruto in 2027.
With chants of "Wantam" dominating the rally and thousands lining the roads to welcome the opposition convoy, the battle for Western Kenya appears to have shifted into high gear, setting the stage for an intense political contest between President Ruto's camp and a rejuvenated opposition alliance.
